Orientations Toward English Listening And English Listening Comprehension Achievement

This is a study on domain-specific motivation for language learning. Domain-specific motivation for language learning refers to the motivation for the learning of the specific domains (e.g. listening, reading, speaking, writing, etc.) of an L2, while domain-general motivation for language learning refers to the general motivation for the learning of an L2.Specifically, the present study has been undertaken to examine the orientations toward English listening held by the tertiary-level EFL learners in China, and the relation of these orientations to their English listening comprehension achievements. The researcher carried out the present study for three major reasons. The first is the need for research on motivation from the perspective of L2 listening research. The second is the need for research on listening from the perspective of L2 motivation research. The third is the lack of empirical study in China on tertiary-level EFL learners' motivation for English listening, especially on their orientations toward English listening.A total of 653 subjects, including three groups of non-English majors taking sophomore EFL classes and two groups of EFL teachers, participated in the present study. All the subjects were from Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Two instruments were used in the present study. One was a self-designed questionnaire which investigated the students' orientations toward English listening and the other was an English listening comprehension test.The major statistical methods involved in the present study were exploratory factor analysis, frequency analysis, and multiple regression analysis. All statistical calculations were made using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 12.0 computer software.The methods of exploratory factor analysis and frequency analysis were used in the investigation of the orientations toward English listening held by the tertiary-level EFL learners in China. After carrying out factor analysis on the nine-factor solution, the eight-factor solution, the seven-factor solution, and the six-factor solution, theresearcher retained the six-factor solution. The six factors found in the present study in total accounted for 49.934% of the variance and were labeled as interest, English ability, communication, societal advancement, English learning, and external requirement. The results of the frequency analysis showed that these six general orientations were adequate to account for the reasons why these students listened to English.These orientations show similarities to the orientations found in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning. Specifically, interest, English ability, societal advancement, and external requirement found in the present study are similar to the orientations found in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning.However, there are also important differences between the orientations found in the present study and those found in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning. English learning is the distinct orientation that emerged in the present study. In addition, English media emerged as part of the communication orientation rather than as a general orientation or as part of the interest orientation. Communication, which has been part of the individual development orientation in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning, emerged as a general orientation in the present study. Knowledge as well as the desire for stimuli and challenges, which have been two general orientations in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning, appeared as part of the English ability orientation and the English learning orientation respectively in the present study.These orientations also show similarities to and differences from the purposes for listening suggested by earlier researchers. Specifically, interest and communication are similar to the purposes for listening suggested by earlier researchers. However, English ability, societal advancement, English learning, and external requirement have never been mentioned as purposes for listening.The above findings reveal that neither the orientations found in the studies on domain-general motivation for language learning nor the purposes for listeningsuggested by earlier researchers provide an adequate framework for the orientations toward English listening held by the tertiary-level EFL learners in China. Therefore, the present study was proved to be necessary.The method of multiple regression analysis was used to find out the relation of these six general orientations to English listening comprehension achievement. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that among the six general orientations, only English learning and external requirement were significant predictors of English listening comprehension achievement. In addition, these two orientations were negative predictors of English listening comprehension achievement. In terms of prediction, 5.5% of the achievement variance was due to the combined effect of these two orientations. The other four orientations did not emerge as significant predictors of English listening comprehension achievement.In light of the above findings, the following pedagogical implications for the English listening instruction in China were proposed. Firstly, teachers should take flexible strategies to motivate students. Secondly, teachers should provide students with authentic listening materials. Thirdly, teachers should encourage more interaction in English listening instruction. Fourthly, teachers should adopt English media as a complement to regular English listening instruction. Fifthly, teachers should be aware of students' ambitions, aspirations, and their needs of personal growth. Finally, teachers should not overstress the teaching of linguistic features and the fulfillment of external requirements in English listening instruction.